Fish sauce: nutrition and how to use it

Fun facts

• Traditional fish sauce is just anchovies and salt, aged in wooden barrels, often for a whole year. Phú Quốc, Phan Thiết and Nha Trang are famous for it.
• The ancient Romans had their own fish sauce called garum. Vietnamese and Roman kitchens once shared the same taste.
• 100g of fish sauce has 7,851mg of sodium. A tablespoon, about 18g, holds roughly 1,400mg of sodium, equal to 3.5g of salt and over two thirds of the WHO daily limit (under 2,000mg sodium).
• The protein grade on the bottle, such as 40°N, is the grams of nitrogen in one liter. The higher the number, the richer the fish flavor.

Choosing and storing

Read the label: traditional fish sauce usually lists only anchovies and salt, while blended versions add water, sugar and flavor enhancers. Keep the bottle somewhere dark and cool with the cap on. Darkening over time or salt crystals at the bottom are completely normal.

Cooking it well

Add fish sauce at the end of cooking to keep its aroma, so you need less. Make dipping sauce lighter with lime, garlic, chili and a splash of water, then dip lightly instead of pouring. How much salt Vietnamese people eat, and how much hides in the dipping bowl, is covered in this article. In the kOBE recipe library, more than 300 dishes use fish sauce.

Frequently asked questions